Personnel Index - Detail

Flew 21 operations with 49SqnThe following information is courtesy of Peter Blocksidge (nephew):

"We do know that he first went into ground crew maintaining/working on Sunderland flying boats. It has only recently come to light that he served with a number of ground maintenance units, and several other squadrons, as well as 49 Sqn."

Raymond Blocksidge (centre) apparently armed with a large spanner!

It would appear that he was then selected for aircrew.....see the image below.

Two images of Raymond Blocksidge (before and after he became aircrew)

Pete Blocksidge continues:

"I can tell you though that one of his missions, which is barely noted in his book, didn’t actually go very well. As on returning from Nuremberg on the 28/08/1943 in Lancaster R5889 it suffered severe damage to the nose of the aircraft over the target, we don’t know if this was due to AA fire or fighter damage,

However the nose of the aircraft and the bombsight was shot away, and in order to prevent it from falling into enemy hands, the bomb aimer managed to grab it before it fell out of the plane and my grandad grabbed the bomb aimer just before he nearly joined the bombsight.

The pilot, P/O N Green was injured in the incident during the raid, in the left elbow and side........ I believe for which the pilot received the DFC and the bomb aimer received a written citation.
The rest of the crew received absolutely nothing despite bringing the damaged plane home which landed at Tangmere, a fighter base, where it was repaired, and flown back to base (Scampton) on the 1st September 1942 ".

Sgt Blocksidge the F/E to P/O Neil Green is seen here calling out the readings on his gauges. The picture was taken in late 1942 and the aircraft is believed to be Lancaster R5889 EA-T.